


Oh The Places You'll Go

by abandoningship



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-22
Updated: 2015-10-09
Packaged: 2018-04-16 16:36:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4632381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abandoningship/pseuds/abandoningship
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>But the YEPS on the STEPS - They’re great fun to have around. And so are many, many other friends that I have found.</p><p>The New Kids are thankful for the life they have lived. But someone thinks their soccer life should last a little longer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 2015

**Author's Note:**

> Got a little carried away with the Doctor Seuss quotes.

Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.  
____________

 

You cleat crunches against the grass hard as you slowly jog back to the sideline. You can feel Julie’s presence appear next to you but somehow you’re not happy your best friend is near. As you approach the line you and Julie high five and assure each other that you’ll have a great game. It’s becoming a ritual for you two, since you’re the youngest and it feels like the world is against you. 

Ritual.

You can’t help but shiver at that word. There are many rituals on the team. You and Julie to start, Ashlyn and Ali’s coffee date the day before game days, Sydney and Alex’s handshake, Abby and Christie’s certain stretches, Pinoe and Kelley’s game day shades, Kling and Whitney’s Tar Heel blanket they bring on the bus, Christen’s meditation. You wish that was where the list ends, it is where the list ends, but not for this game. For this game there’s one more thing on that list that pains you to say.

The New Kids jump.

Today was the last game of the victory tour. It’s Lauren’s last game. You can feel your eyes betray you as tears slowly fall. Julie turns to you and brings you in for a hug.

“I know. I know. It’ll be okay Morgan.”

She uses your full name and you know she’s sure of it because Julie only uses your full name when she wants to have a serious conversation with you. She pulls away and you can feel yourself wiping the tears away. You see Amy and Tobin walk to the line. They’re crying. Lauren makes her way over and she’s worse than Amy and Tobin combined. You turn back to Julie and see her starting to look depressed.

“Let’s just focus on our ritual?”

“Yeah. Sounds good.”

But you can’t. Julie and you never move. You both go back to watching the New Kids. At this point, the whole team is watching. The stadium is silent but no one realizes it because everyone is focused on three players. You can see Lauren’s lips moving.

One. Two. Three.

They jump onto the pitch. The stadium starts to cheer. The team starts to clap. Lauren, Tobin, and Amy keep jogging like nothing happened. And you and Julie are crying your eyes out. And then you freeze because there’s a small ritual that no one notices. After Lauren is done warming up with Amy and Tobin, she makes her way over to you and stretches and passes with you. She talks to you about the game, camp, life. 

“Julie.”

“Yeah Moe?”

“I don’t want her to come over here.”

As if on cue, Lauren starts to walk over to you and Julie. You start to hyperventilate and Julie’s hands are around you in seconds. You don’t realize what’s going on but Lauren, Dawn, and a doctor are near you within the minute. You can’t stop and Lauren tells everyone you’re fine, just a little emotional. You can feel her lead you to the nearby locker room so you can have some privacy and you grab onto Julie’s arm at the last second.

“Morgan. Listen to me.”

Lauren’s talking to you but you can barely hear her. All you hear is your heavy breathing. Julie is gone now because Lauren sent her away and you cry a little because you don’t want to be alone with Lauren.

“Morgan.”

Breathe in, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breath in, breathe in.

“Morgan.”

Your pace quickens.

“Morgan Paige Brian!”

And just like that, you stop. Your breathing has returned to normal. Lauren is staring at you with sadness. Her eyes are red and her cheeks are tear stained. 

“Morgan, I know this is hard for you, but you’re going to be okay. It’s not the end of the world. I love you Moe. I would never leave you okay. I’ll be in touch with you every game day. I know if feels like something will be missing from now on, but that’s life, okay? I’ll always be supporting you and I’ll always have your back. Now I know you want to send me off right, so we need to go out to the field and play our hearts out. I want a goal from you as a gift, okay?”

You nod, wipe the tears away with your shirt, and hug Lauren.

And you score three goals for her, not one.


	2. 2019

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to update early since it's my birthday and I'm in a good mood. Enjoy! (:

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not. 

______________________

 

It’s another victory tour where your heart falls to the bottom of your chest. You’re at some stadium in California looking around at the team. It’s different now. It’s weird. Abby’s gone. Christie’s gone. Hope’s gone. Carli actually left. Becky’s leaving after the Olympics. Pinoe is leaving soon. The new players called up make you feel like you’re back at some U-20 camp long ago. Cari Roccaro is here. Lindsey Horan is here. Kealia Ohai came. Jane Campbell was called up. There’s many others but it just doesn’t feel the same. It hasn’t since 2015.

“Moe, you ready?” 

Your head turns and you see Julie smiling next to you. You smile and nod. You both walk up to the sideline and preform your handshake.

“You’re gonna have one hell of a game. I expect a set piece goal.”

“You’re gonna score today. I can feel it. Go show China not to mess with Morgan Brian.”

Julie starts to laugh and you end up laughing to. You’re about to cross the line when you two notice the crowd silence. Round 2.

Tobin is standing by the sideline. She’s stretching her quads but stops abruptly. Amy is making her way over, her eyes full of tears. She stops walking as Tobin pulls her in for a hug. They’re both holding onto each other for dear life and you can see Amy is crying harder now. There’s something being said but you can’t hear it. They stop hugging and hold hands. Amy’s left hand reaches out and grasps nothing but the air.

One. Two. Three.

Their feet are over the line and the stadium erupts with cheering. Julie and you are clapping and somehow there’s no tears. But your sadness does show. Tobin and Amy are clapping to the crowd now and you smile. You’re still clapping when Tobin walks over.

“Hey Moe, you ready for the game?”

You laugh and Julie smiles. Julie slowly pulls away so it’s just you and Tobin.

“Tobin, I told you you didn’t have to do this. Why do you keep doing it?”

“Hey, I promised Lauren I would. I never break promises and I would never break one to Lauren. Especially since she’d kill me if she found out. Now, are you going to answer me or not?”

“Yes, I’m ready. I’m excited.”

You are both interrupted when you feel a little kid run by. He’s racing away from his father but his father doesn’t chase after him since he’s knows the boy is safe with the team. The father is standing at midfield with Lauren and Adam Rodriguez, as well as their parents. They see the little boy in the corner of their eyes as they talk to some US Soccer representatives. The little boy stops running and spots you two and runs back to stand in between you. You’re both laughing when the little boy speaks up.

“Toby, MoMo, this is my last game with you.”

You smile when you hear MoMo because you know he picked that up from Lauren long ago.

“Hey Ry, are you excited?” Tobin asked the young boy.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I won’t see you guys anymore.”

Tobin frowns and Ryan looks ready to cry. 

“Hey, Ry-Guy.”

Ryan turns to you at the sound of your voice and your nickname for him.

“You’re not going to get rid of us. Toby and I will visit all the time.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

“I promise too, buddy.”

Two little arms wrap around your legs and you hear Ryan whisper to you.

“MoMo, please don’t forget about me.”

You feel hurt when he says that and you kneel to his eye level.

“I will never forget you Ry-Guy. We’re bffs, remember? I promise I’ll call you before every game. And you better answer, okay?”

“Okay!"

Ryan hugs you quickly and starts to walk away towards his father, who is now calling him over. You stand back up and start talking to Tobin again. As you talk, you feel a pain in your chest because you told Lauren every day that Tobin didn’t have to fill in her shoes. You’re fine now. Tobin asks you a simple question but you can’t answer because you feel something crash into your leg. You look down and you see that Ryan is back and he’s holding onto your leg.

“MoMo I almost forgot to tell you!”

“What is it Ry-Guy?” 

“You’re gonna be an Aunt again!”

“What?”

“I’m gonna be a big brother!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 will be posted September 2nd.


	3. 2025

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She'll be here forever; forever is over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized how short these are. oops.
> 
> Also, I updated an hour early because I'm a kind soul.

Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.

_________________________

 

You’re at the oh-so familiar PPL Park in Chester, PA and you can’t even recognize the team in front of you. Where are the ‘young guys’? The people a little older than you? The ones who were once knew are gone. No more Alex, no more Sydney. No more Christen, no more HAO, no more Kling. Ashlyn and Ali are long gone. It’s been ten years since you won gold in Canada. The only two still remaining other than you and Julie, are Kelley and Tobin. And as fate would have it, they’re both leaving today. 

It’s weird walking up to little kids who stare at you like they once did to Christie. Your mind goes blank when they say that you’re the best center midfielder they’ve ever seen. Sometimes you want to scoff and tell them about Carli and Lauren. But that’s it. You have to tell them. They have no idea who Carli and Lauren are. They’ve never seen them play. And it pains you to see Tobin and Kelley walk away because they’re the last from the 2015 team. Yes, you and Julie were on the team, but you’re more remembered for what you do now. Some kids don’t even know you played in 2015. 

“Moe?”

Once again, you’re pulled out of your thoughts by Julie.

“You ready?”

You nod. Your handshake starts up and it pains you to see photographers walk up to you and Julie immediately. They’re treating your handshake like they once did to the New Kids jump. Your handshake finishes and some younger girls go crazy. You pull Julie in for a hug so you can tell her your pep talk to her and not to reporters. For a moment, all you can hear is Julie’s voice in your ear. You both pull apart in time to see Tobin walk up to the line. And you get mad.

For once, the crowd doesn’t silence. It almost feels disrespectful. But you lighten up when you see the ISI photographer in position to catch the last New Kids jump. Or rather, the last New Kid jump. You can always count on the ISI photographer. Tobin stretches her quads and then shakes out her legs. You see Tobin reach both of her arms out. She grasps the air. She’s reaching for hands that aren't there. 

One. Two. Three.

You cheer when she jumps the line. Julie and Kelley join in. It pains you that the crowd doesn’t know what just happened and how monumental it was. And for the last time, Tobin walks over to you. And she’s in tears. You start to tear up too and run over to her and hug her.

“After today, I’ll be letting Lauren down.”

You try to laugh through your tears and Tobin joins in.

“I’m gonna miss you Tobin.”

“You know I’m gonna be here for you kid.”

You wipe some tears away and smile at the last New Kid. When you see Tobin look around the crowd, you remember her surprise.

“Tobin! How could I forget!”

You grab Tobin’s arm and pull her to the opposite side of the stadium. She’s completely lost until she sees something she’ll never forget.

“Tobin, you better not just stand there. Come hug me you jerk.”

Tobin did as the voice said and seconds later she was in Lauren’s arms. You flew Lauren and Amy as well as their families out for Tobin’s last game. 

“I can’t believe you still do our jump.” Amy spoke 

“Well, I have to do it for the parents in the crowd.”

“The parents?” Amy questioned.

“You know as well as I do that the 2015 fans never died, Amy. You know they introduced their kids to the USWNT. And I had to give them a taste of nostalgia, even if it’s just me jumping.”

Amy and Lauren pull Tobin in for a hug and you hear a familiar voice scream out from behind them.

“MoMo!”

You scan the crowd in front of you for the not-so-little boy and see him next to Adam. He runs down to the railing and you pull him in for a hug.

“Ry-Guy!”

“My mom told me I get to come over your house later!”

“Yep. I hope you can come!”

“I wouldn’t miss it! Plus I get to see my little cousins.”

You smile and hug Ryan again.

“I’m sure Noah and Taylor would love to see you.”

You pull away from Ryan and leave Tobin alone with Lauren and Amy. As you jog back to the field you see Julie with Kelley and your smile fades away because you thought you would never see the day Kelley O’Hara retires. You join your best friend and close friend at midfield. You talk for maybe five minutes when you see a familiar face on the jumbotron. 

Ryan is holding a sign. 

 

-Everyone knows that the BIRD is the word. Go Aunt Morgan! #14-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next one will be up on Friday 9/4.


	4. 2026

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People aren't replaceable. Or are they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with this!

You have to be smart and keep watching their feet. Because sometimes they stand on their tiptoes and cheat.

 

___________________

 

It’s the first game of the new year and the first game since Tobin and Kelley left the game. You and Julie are the veterans now and it’s weird to have that responsibility. Julie is now captain and you thank God they picked Julie and not you. You’re both at the line and do your now famous handshake. And when you pull away, you see something you’d thought you’d never see. 

There’s three of the younger girls holding hands near midfield. They’re on the wrong side of the white line. You stare at Julie and you can see it in her look that you have the same idea. You both run over to the line and stand in front of the three rookies. 

“What I think is going to happen, better not happen.”

The three girls look at you and Julie with fear and you soften up, realizing you may have been a little too hard.

“Look, I don’t care if the three of you jump over this line, but can you do it after I’m gone? I was a rookie when three veterans who meant a lot to me had a ritual to jump over the line together. I’m not ready to see anyone else do it.”

To you, there’s only three people that are allowed to jump that line in front of you and you make sure it’s no one else but those three.

“We’re sorry Morgan.”

“We won’t jump.”

“We thought it would make you and Julie come over and talk to us.”

You and Julie look at each other and then back at the girls. One of them explains.

“We were your fans back in 2015. We were young and thought the New Kids jump was so cool. And we saw how much you two loved it too. We thought if we did it, you two would come over and talk to us. Maybe befriend us or something.”

You smile weakly and Julie speaks up for the first time.

“You didn’t have to do that to come talk to us. We don’t bite. You could have came up to us.”

“In fact, Julie and I will come talk to you before every game.”

You freeze when the words come out of your mouth. The three rookies are ecstatic and Julie looks at you like she knows what you’re thinking.

“You’re becoming Lauren.”

But you can’t become Lauren. No one can replace Lauren. Her ritual before the game that everyone loved. Her motherly nature to the rookies. And oh my God you’re becoming Lauren.

Julie leads all of you away from the line and onto the field. But you continue to stare at the line with nostalgia and hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was told this ending sucked by my editor. No, I don't have a legit editor. My friend asked me to write this for her so I let her read it before it went out. So if there's enough interest, I will do an epilogue.


	5. 2031

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's all over now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this isn't how a sendoff game goes. Let's all put our pretend caps on.

You’re on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the one who’ll decide where to go.

 

_________________________________

 

 

Five years, one hundred and eight handshakes, nine goals, three teammate weddings, and one more kid later, you’re ready to hang up the cleats. And as fate would have it, your best friend is by your side. You’re both retiring on your 290th cap. 

It’s bittersweet. 

The stadiums you have played in have gotten larger and larger as well as the crowds. Your fans are a mix of every single age imaginable. You’re thirty eight now. Julie’s thirty nine. You don’t know how you got her to stay another year, but you did. You’re both three time World Cup Champions. Your resume is more in depth than Christie Rampone and you’ve played about fifty games fewer. Both you and Julie live in Philly. Eric and Zach never left so you didn’t either. 

It’s the perfect ending for you two. Retiring the last game of the victory tour, which is at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. 

The crowd of over 60,000 is right in the middle of crowds you have played in front of. It’s not the biggest, and it’s definitely not the smallest. Your thoughts scatter as you walk through the tunnel one last time. Your last handshake is already done. Your last locker room pep talk with Julie is done. And now, you’re ready to take the pitch for the last time ever. The US and Mexico are lined up in the middle of the field. The Star Spangled Banner is finishing up when you see Sunhil walk out of the tunnel. 

You didn’t want this to happen. US Soccer wanted to give you and Julie a sendoff game. You two refused. Yet, US Soccer representatives and your families are walking out. You see your parents and sister as well as Eric and your three kids. Julie sees her parents and her sister as well as Zach and their two daughters. But then something surprises you, because there’s more people coming out of the tunnel.

Your heart stops when you see ten familiar faces smiling right back at you. Julie nudges you and you turn to face her. You’re both wearing the same expressions.

The Holiday Family, Shilling Family, and Heath Family stand next to Sunhil. You’re still motionless when you hear Lauren’s voice announcing instead of Sunhil.

 

“Hello everyone. I am Lauren Holiday, former USWNT player. I’m joined with two other former players, Amy Rodriguez Shilling and Tobin Heath. The U.S. Soccer Federation kindly asked us if we were willing to help honor two very important players tonight. Of course, we happily agreed.”

Lauren passed the mic to Amy, never breaking eye contact with the camera that is hovering around the group.

“Morgan Brian and Julie Johnston, or you know them now as Morgan Bird and Julie Ertz, have been on this team since about 2013. They’re both three time World Cup Champions, four time Olympic Gold Medalists, and two time NWSL Champions. They both also have 290 appearances on the US Women’s National Team.”

Amy cheered and handed the mic to Tobin, who finished up the introduction.

“It’s plain to see why U.S. Soccer wants to honor these two players tonight in their last appearance for the national team. To honor Morgan and Julie, U.S. soccer is proud to give both players a pair of cleats with their first and last cap dates on it, a signed ball of every single U.S. soccer teammate they’ve played with in their World Cup wins, and a plaque for their accomplishments. Congratulations Morgan and Julie on two fantastic careers.”

As Tobin finished up, you see Sunhil hand you and Julie the plaques. Lauren walks up with your cleats and Amy hands Julie her cleats. Tobin has both soccer balls in your hand. 

You didn’t want a send off game. You didn’t want to be the center of attention. You didn’t want to cry. But all of those thoughts are gone as Lauren hugs you. You’ve seen her since her retirement. Since Tobin’s. But it feels like you haven’t seen each other in ages when you hug back. Your eyes betray your no crying rule.

“I wanted you too meet someone for the first time.”

You pull out of the hug and stare at Lauren questionably. It’s when Jrue comes over is when you first see the newborn in his arms. In all of this excitement, you forgot Lauren had another baby. You get handed the baby, a girl. She’s tiny and has at least two blankets around her because it’s kind of cold out. 

“She’s beautiful, Lauren.”

Lauren smiles and her son Benjamin runs over and clings onto her leg. You notice his presence and kneel down.

“Hi, Benny.”

“Hi Auntie MoMo.”

You roll your eyes at the nickname Lauren insisted on telling her son to call you by.

“Do you like being a big brother? Do you help out?”

Benjamin nods and looks down at his baby sister in your arms.

“I help Mommy with baby. Unless baby cry. I don’t like when Moe cry.”

You laugh through your confusion until a realization comes over you. You stand up and look up at Lauren. She’s nodding with a smirk on her face.

“You didn’t.”

“Oh but I did. I had to upstage you. Morgan Paige, meet Morgan Nicole.”

You’re glaring at Lauren until you feel small hands grab your quad. Your youngest daughter is clinging onto you. Her three year old hands are now in the air facing you.

“Up, mommy!”

You look down as you curse yourself for letting this happen to you.

“Not now, Lauren. Mommy is holding your cousin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it. 
> 
> Oh the places they went.


End file.
